Effectiveness of Postoperative Analgesia with Rectal Placement of Diclofenac Sodium in Patients Undergoing Gynecological and Obstetrical Surgeries under General Anesthesia

Abstract

Objective: To determine the frequency of need for postoperative intravenous analgesia after rectal diclofenac
suppository in patients undergoing lower abdominal gynecological or obstetrical surgery under general
anesthesia
Study Design: Cross-sectional study.
Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out at the Operation Theater and Postoperative Ward of
Sheikh Zayed Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan from January 2021 to July 2021.
Methods: A total of 245 women undergoing gynecological and obstetrical surgeries under general anesthesia
were enrolled in the study using non-probability consecutive sampling. All the participants were recruited after
obtaining informed consent and meeting the inclusion criteria. All subjects had a single 100mg diclofenac
suppository inserted rectally after undergoing general anesthesia, and their Visual Analog Scale (VAS) scores for
postoperative analgesia were recorded immediately after surgery and again at 1, 6, and 24 hours.
Results: The mean age of the patients was 37 years, with a standard deviation of 6.2. The mean VAS (Visual
Analog Scale) scores at 1, 6, 12, and 24 hours were 3 (±1.24), 5 (±1.46), 7 (±1.93), and 6 (±2.14), respectively. The
need for rescue analgesia was reported in 15.9% of cases at 1 hour, 37.1% at 6 hours, 82% at 12 hours, and
68.2% at 24 hours.
Conclusion: The administration of diclofenac via rectal placement led to a notable decrease in Visual Analog
Scale scores and a lower incidence of needing additional pain relief within the first 6 hours after surgery.

How to cite this: Saeed R, Mahboob A, Ali SM, Latif A, Ammar T, Kakepotto IA. Requirement of Postoperative Analgesia after Per Rectal Placement of Diclofenac Sodium in Patients Undergoing Gynecological and Obstetrical Surgeries under General Anesthesia. Life and Science. 2024; 5(1): 120-125. doi: http://doi.org/10.37185/LnS.1.1.515